Self-playing piano.



No, 839,557. PATENTED DEC. 25, 1906.

J. W. DARLBY, JR. SELF PLAYING PIANO. APPLICATION FILED JULY 24. 1905.

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PATENTED DEC. 25, 1906. J. W. DARLEY, JR.

SELF PLAYING PIANO. APPLICATION FILED JULY 24. 1905.

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PATENTED DEC 25, 1906.

, Inn? J. W. DARLEEJR. SELF PLAYING PIANO. APPLICATION FILED JULY 24 1905 Figa- I vi WQOOG UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'JoHNW. DARLl'JY, .In, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM KNABE & co. MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or BALTI- MORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORATION or MARYLAND.

SELF-PLAYING PIANO- Patented Dec. 25, 1906.

Application filed July 24,1905. Serial No. 271.050.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. DARLEY, Jr.',

Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Playing Pianos; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in self-playing pianos or pianos of that class which may be played in the usual manner by an operator or. in which the notes may be produced by the use of a traveling perforated sheet of paper.

The objects of my invention are to hold the keys stationary when the instrument is operated by pneumatic. means, to provide perfectly-balanced pedals, a hand-rest for the operator, and a compound bracket which will support the devices holding the traveling sheet of paper and also support the pianoaction. I

Other objects and advantages will appear from the detailed description.

, In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of my improved piano with the end casing removed. Fig. 2 is a broken front elevation of the same, some of the interior parts being shown in dotted lines. Figs. 3 and 4. represent the key-holding means in two positions, and Figs. 5, 6, 7, S, and 9 repof paper and the piano-action are sup ortedresent details of the pneumatic apparatus.

a represents an upright piano of the ordinary type to which my improvements are,

I) re resents the keys, pivoted, as usual, a little sick of the center thereof. Each of these keys is provided with a slotted extension 0, which engages a stop (1 on a vertical rod e, which operatesthe piano-action in the usual way. This piano-action may be of the usual or any preferred type and will not be specifically described herein.

The-holding devices for the travelingroll b a compound bracket, one mem r of which supports the-holding devices and the other member of which is adjustable on said.

first-named member and supports the pianoaction. Referring to 1, f represents the the holding devices for the traveling roll of paper, and 32 represents the other member of said bracket. lhis member 32 has near its lower portion a rounded or ball-shaped portion 33, which fits into a cup-shaped portion 34, which in turn is carried by a screwthreaded pin 35, which passes through an arm 36 of the front member f. 37 represents a lock-nut for the screw-threaded pin 35. It is obvious that by the movement of the pin the rear member 33 of the compound bracket will be adjusted relatively to the front member thereof; The upper part of the rear member 32 is provided with a perforated projection 38, which passes loosely over a pin 39, attached to the rear frame of the piano. A screw 40 serves to hold the member 32 on the pin 39.

In front of the keys and extending the full width thereof is a pivoted portion g, su ported on the frame of the iano by hinges This portion is ada ted to ibld down into the position shown in ig. 6, in which position it ocks the keys against movement, as herein-. after described, and affords a convenient handrest for the operator. Near each end of this hand-rest is pivoted an arm i, which when the hand-restis folded out, as shown in Fig. 6, rests upon the piano-frame, holding the hand-rest firmly in osition. Each of these arms is pivoted to t e hand-rest at one end, as shown at 1, and at the other end is these boards m is located on each sideof thekeys, and they are connected together by a bar 0, secured toprojections p p in the boards m. The bar 0 is slotted at each end, as shown at 3, and is secured at each end to its correspon ing projection p by a set-screw,- such as r, the parts being therefore adjust ably secured togethen.

Near the center of the bar 0 is attached anextension or ear 8, provided with a pivot t, on.

which is pivoted an arm 'lL',-tl18 lower end of which loosely engages'the top of a s ring supported slidingbaro. This bar sli es.on screws w, attached to the frame of the piano and its lower end terminates in a hook, :c. A spring is attached to a projection 2 and norm ypholds said arm 22 elevated in the front member of SlidbrhchEIhmh supports shown in 5, in which case the keys are left free to be operated by a player in the usual manner. When the hand-rest g is swung outwardly, however, into the position shown in Fig. 6, the bar isthrown down and comes in contact with the upper part of the keys behind their pivots, thus making it impossible for an operator to play the piano in the usual manner.

WVhen the hand-rest g is folded forward, it disengages the hook a from a hooked portion 23 in the upper part of the footboard 2, whereupon the spring 12 forces said footboard out into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. l or out to the dotted line 24 of ig. 3. The footboard, hon-ever, is restrained from falling over-to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 by the action of this ,s ring, a point of decided advantage, as it o viates the liability of the footboard dropping upon' the feet of the operator, which is a serious objection to most, if not all, of the footboards now in use on self-playing pianos. The folding forward of the hand-rest 9 also looks the keys, as already described, and the operator then puts his hand or foot upon the upper part of the footboard 2 and brings it down from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 1, against the tension of the spring 12, which is strong enough to hold the footboard in the position shown. in dotted lines in Fig. 1, if left alone, but which after the footboard is swung down into the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is not strong enough to lift it on account ofthe increased leverage. The spring 12 therefore acts as a counterbalance to the footboard and its connected parts. I do not wish to limit myself, however, by the use of this term to aconstruction in which the spring 12 exactly balances the footboard and its connected parts but in the preferred construction each of the pedals 5 is exactly balanced by means of the construction described. As the opera: tor presses the pedal down from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 5 he compresses the spring 1.2, which of course offers resistance. This resistance, together with the fact that the spring 12 has a larger leverage on the pedal 5 and footboard 2 when in the position shown in Fig. 3than it has when in the position shown dotted in Fig. 1, balances the effect of gravity on those .parts and. causes them. to remain in any position in which they may be placed. This is necessary, as it is evident that the efi'ect'of gravity on those parts will increase as they are moved from'the position shown in Fig. 1

dotted, to the position shown in Fig. 3. The parts being in the position shown in Fig. 3, the pedal is depressed by foot to the position shown in Fig. 4, and during this motion of the pedal the leverage of the foot upon the bellows will increase, aswill be evident from the construction of the pedal 5. link 10, and bell-crank lever 14.

27 represents a movable panel in front of the upper part of the brackets f, which supports a board 28 which in turn supports the frame'for the paper-roll, which is mounted on the pivot-pins 29 and 30 and passes over a roll 31, all of these parts being of the usual construction. In the drawings many parts of any ordinary upright piano are shown; but it is unnecessary to describe these parts in detail, as they are well known, the particular features of novelty being pointed out in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In a self-playing piano, the combination of the piano-action and devices for supporting a movable roll of perforated paper, with a compound bracket for supporting said pianoing of'two members the members of said compound bracket being adjustable relatively to each other, substantially as described.

2. In a self-playing piano, the combination of normally free keys, anormally locked pedal device mechanism for playing the piano, a folding hand-rest, and means whereby the movement of said hand-rest locks the tially as described.

3. In a self-playing piano, the combination of a hand-rest pivoted on the front part there of, keys normally free, a pedal device mechanism for playingv said piano without the use of said keys, means for normally holding said pedal device locked, a bar extending over said keys, and connections whereby the movement of said hand-rest brings said bar int 0 contact with said keys, thereby preventing-their action, and at the same time unlocks the pedal device, substantially as described.

4. In a selfeplayin-g piano, the combination .of the piano-action and devices for supporting a movable roll of perforated paper with a compound bracket consisting of two members for supporting said piano-action and said means, said bracket'being supported by the pianocasing, and the members of said compound bracket being adjustable relatively to each other substantially as de scribed.

of the piano-action and means for supporting a movable perforated roll of paper, with a compound bracket consisting of two members and having an upwardly-extending arm for supporting said means, and rearwardly-extending arms for supporting said pianoac tion, said bracket being supported inside of the piano, and the members of said compound bracket being adjustable relatively to each other substantially as described.

6. In a self-playing piano, the combination of a hand-rest ivoted near the front thereof,

' a pair of boar s pivoted to the piano-frame,

5. In a'self-playing piano, the combination action and said means, said bracket consistkeys and unlocks the pedal device, substanfastened to said boards and adapted to be brought down to lock the keys of the piano when the hand-rest is folded forward,'substantially as described.

7. In a self-playing piano, the combination of the keys normally free to operate, a hand rest pivoted on the front of the piano, links pivoted to said hand-rest, near its ends, pivoted boards to which said links are attached, and a bar adjustably secured to said boards and adapted, when said hand-rest is folded forward, to engage said keys and prevent their operation, substantially as described.

8. Ina piano, which includes self-playing mechanism, the combination of keys, a handrest pivoted to the front of said piano, a link pivoted to said hand-rest at one end, a pivoted board to which said link is attached at the other end, a bar extending across the piano and adjustably secured to said board, an arm extending downwardly from said bar, pedal devices to operate said mechanism for playing said piano without the use of the keys, a lock normally holding said pedal devices out of action, and connections whereby the folding forward of said hand-rest releases said lock, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my, signature in presence of two witnesses.

J. W. DARLEY, JR.

Witnesses:

E. A. DOLLE, CHARLES R. BOETTGER. 

